National Nurses Week 2024

SOME WAYS TO INVOLVE SENIOR CITIZENS IN

EARTH DAY ACTIVITIES

On April 22, 2017 the largest civic observance in the world celebrated by over one billion people in 19 countries will participate in Earth Day activities.  You can involve seniors and loved ones of all ages with reduce, reuse, and recycle campaigns across the GTA this Saturday.  Here are a few ideas to help them with some activities;

Community garden – Seniors who are agile enough to get out and enjoy the outdoors can visit community gardens which provide fresh products and plants as well as contributing to a sense of community and connection to the environment and an opportunity for satisfying labour and neighbourhood improvement.

To find a community garden and to get involved, click the link http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=497807e36acc5410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD&vgnextchannel=8148dada600f0410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD

Energy audit - You can assist seniors at home with a self-home energy checkup to help determine where homes are losing energy and money - and how such problems can be corrected to make your home more energy efficient. 

• Try looking for air leaks, check insulation, vapour barriers, ductwork seals, weather stripping, check heating and cooling equipment for service update and cleaning
• Change old lighting for more energy efficient lighting products
• Unplugging an item when it is not in use to prevent phantom loads
• Changing the settings or using items less often
• Purchasing new, more efficient home products like appliances

Clean out old unused clothes and donate to a charity – A great example is the Canadian Diabetes Association. One of the few charities that offers a pickup service for smaller donations of clothing, the Canadian Diabetes Association sells donated items on to chains like Value Village in order to fund diabetes research. You can schedule a pickup online or by phone, or find a dropbox. (Just a gentle reminder: Don't leave bagged clothing sitting outside boxes.)

Plant a tree – For tree planting activities across Ontario, check out sites like; http://www.treesontario.ca/programs/planting_maps.php

Volunteer for an environmental charity – To volunteer activities across Canada, check out sites like https://www.goodwork.ca/volunteer

Happy Earth Day!